Community FAQ

Services

ZDNet UK brings together the news, analysis, reviews and white papers that technology professionals need to make the right decisions for IT in business.

About your account

  1. Do I have to register to use ZDNet UK?
  2. Why do you need my personal details?
  3. What are usernames?
  4. What is an avatar? What are the rules for avatars?
  5. Why do I need to click on the link in the 'Confirm your ZDNet UK membership' email?
  6. How can I tell if I am logged in?
  7. Do I have to log in every time I visit the site?
  8. I've forgotten my password. What should I do?
  9. I can't remember which email address I used when I signed up, and now I can't log in. What should I do?
  10. How can I update my personal details?
  11. Who can see my profile?
  12. How do I change my profile picture and avatar?
  13. How do I report a problem with my account?
  14. Where can I find out more about community guidelines?

Blogs

  1. How do I start a blog?
  2. How do I add a post to a group blog?
  3. Can I copy a post from my own blog elsewhere?
  4. How do I embed an image in a blog post?
  5. How do I embed a YouTube video to a blog post?
  6. How do people get my blog by RSS?
  7. What is a Core Tech?
  8. How do I report bad behaviour by other users?
  9. Why has my post disappeared?
1 - Do I have to register to use ZDNet UK?

Almost all areas of the site are open to any user. However, you will need to register if you want to post comments to the site, write a review, download a white paper, receive a newsletter or start a blog. Registering also allows you to display your personal avatar alongside your contributions and lets you create a profile page.

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2 - Why do you need my personal details?

To provide you with the best and most useful content and services. We use the information for four general purposes:

  • To customise the advertising and content you see
  • To determine how well each page performs based on aggregate user demographics and traffic patterns. This helps us build a better service for you
  • To fulfil your requests for certain products and services, such as sending out electronic newsletters and enabling you to participate in polls, contests and forums
  • To send you information about topics we think will be of interest to you. We only do this if you have agreed to receive such information

Please read our privacy policy for more information.

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3 - What are usernames?

Usernames are used to identify you on the site. Please choose carefully; once you have set one, it cannot be changed.

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4 - What is an avatar? What are the rules for avatars?

An avatar is a small image that is displayed alongside your username to identify you to other users.

Currently, new users are not able to upload images for avatars. A default image will be displayed. Users who previously uploaded an image will see that image displayed.

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5 - Why do I need to click on the link in the 'ZDNet UK: Confirm your membership' email?

Clicking on the link verifies your email address and activates your account. This helps to prevent unauthorised sign-ups.

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6 - How can I tell if I am logged in?

Your ZDNet UK username will appear at the top right of the site if you are logged in. Otherwise, you will see a 'Sign In' link.

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7 - Do I have to log in every time I visit the site?

No, you can choose to be logged in automatically. Next time you log on, select the 'Keep me logged in' checkbox. After that, you will not need to type your email address and password to log in.

If you use more than one computer to visit ZDNet UK, you'll need to do this on each one. You may not want to do this on a computer you share with other people.

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8 - I've forgotten my password. What should I do?

When you try to log in with the wrong password, you'll be taken to a 'My Account' page that says 'That email/password combination isn't in our system'. You'll see a box for existing members that has a 'Forgotten your password?' link underneath. Click this link and follow the instructions on the screen.

Alternatively, you can go straight to the 'Forgotten password' form.

We'll send you a temporary password so you can log in again. Once you've done that, you should update your account with a new password that you can remember more easily (see question 10 below).

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9 - I can't remember which email address I used when I signed up, and now I can't log in. What should I do?

Please send an email to Customer Support listing all your email addresses and we'll do our best to help.

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10 - How can I update my personal details?

Once you have logged in, click your username at the top right of any page to be taken to your 'Profile' – your personal home page. Click the 'Edit Profile' link to edit your personal information.

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11 - Who can see my profile?

All visitors to ZDNet UK can see your profile, whether they are members or not. However, you can choose to restrict some of the information you display. To change your profile, log in to ZDNet UK, then click your username at the top to be taken to your Profile page. Here you can change your profile picture, decide what information to display and write a short description of yourself.

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12 - How do I change my profile picture and avatar?

It is not currently possible to change your avatar/profile picture. This functionality will be added in future.

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13 - How do I report a problem with my account?

Please send an email to Customer Support describing the problem and we'll do our best to sort it out.

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14 - Where can I find out more about community guidelines?

We strive to make sure that the ZDNet UK Community is an environment where IT professionals can share useful information and ideas, and also benefit from the expertise of their peers and our staff. The guidelines in our Code of Conduct are designed to promote this.

We ask ZDNet.co.uk members to be considerate and respectful of others, so we can keep the community a great place to meet and exchange ideas. Below is a list of expected standards of behaviour, which we hope will contribute to a friendly and open environment.

By taking part in the community, you agree to keep to this code of conduct. Those who repeatedly go against these standards run the risk of having their account closed.

And we may revise this document, so please check it from time to time. We're open to your ideas on this. If you feel it needs amending, start a discussion in the forums, and we'll take it from there.

Be respectful
It makes sense to respond politely to posts, no matter how provocative, annoying or clueless they may seem. It'll keep the trolls away, encourage newcomers to join in and help build your status in the community.

Don't power-post
Even if your comment is relevant to more than one story or blog, please don't post it in multiple places. Make just one comment on one story or write a blog entry about it.

Don't advertise
The idea is to share insights and experiences about business technology, which means that ads and promo pieces are not allowed. It's fine to provide a link or a suggestion in answer to another member's query. But please don't post ads, promote your company or solicit business. If you do, we will delete these items and may close your account without warning. This is also covered in our Terms and Conditions.

Add something valuable
Please try to bring something to the table when you post, rather than making a one-word response or talking off-topic. Digressions can make for lively discussions, but make reading your postings worthwhile – it will help you build a reputation within the community.

Make your first post count
For the same reasons, don't begin your blog with a "Hi, I'm new" or "This is my first entry!" Use the opportunity to introduce yourself and your interests, or to raise a question or make a point.

Share wisely
If you have another blog, please don't make a posting with nothing but a link taking people there. The key is to be useful for readers. That's why we're happy for members to replicate content from their other blogs on their ZDNet blog, as long as they aren't breaking copyright in doing so.

Avoid giving offence
Self-explanatory, but here are the obvious things: don't swear, use slurs, or make personal attacks. Don't make defamatory comments. Don't harass, threaten or "flame" other members. Don't post objectionable material or links.

Only post for yourself
If a comment or blog names the author, then the author must be the person who posted it. Marketing and PR folks, pay heed.

Be transparent
Make it clear if you have a vested interest. If you're talking about a business and you work for that company, it's only fair to let people know.

Also, if you include a link, let people know its purpose and where it takes them. Don't post any link that could have a destructive effect. And please don't use a "shortening" service such as TinyURL – the full link will give people a better idea of it.

Be legal
Don't use unlawful language (for instance, language that is libellous or obscene) or participate in other unlawful activities in the community – if you do, we will remove the posting without warning and are likely to close your account. You are responsible for all the content you post on the site, which includes making sure you don't break any applicable law.

As part of this, please avoid including copyrighted or trademarked material in your posts. However, you can link to such items, or paraphrase or quote briefly from them.

Be safe
This is a public space, so be careful about posting any personally identifiable information. Take a look at our Privacy Policy.

Talk to us
Let us know if you think these standards don't reflect what the community is about. The best way is to start a discussion in the Forums, but you can also drop a line to Community Manager.

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15 - How do I start a blog?

Before you start making posts, you have to set up your blog page with a title and a description. Make sure you're logged in to ZDNet UK, then click on 'Edit profile' to go to your Profile and select 'Blog'. Follow the instructions to choose a name for your blog and a description of what it's about.

To change your blog title and description, return to this page and click on 'Edit Blog Settings'.

To create a post, click on the 'Add a New Post' button on your Blog page. Give your post a title and write the body, then hit preview to see what it will look like live. If it's ok, click on 'Submit' to publish the post.

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16 - How do I add a post to a group blog?

Our group blogs pull posts from individual blogs and bring them together in targeted tech subject areas, such as security management or Windows.

All you have to do is create a blog post as usual. When you get to the preview screen, you'll see a list of group blogs with descriptions and boxes beside them. Check off the appropriate ones and hit 'Submit'. The post will show in your own blog page and on the group blog pages you selected.

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17 - Can I copy a post from my own blog elsewhere?

We're happy for members to replicate content from their other blogs on their ZDNet blog, as long as they aren't breaking copyright in doing so. But please don't make a posting with nothing but a link taking people to that other post.

If you want to tell people about your own web site, add a link to your Profile.

For more guidance on what's acceptable in the ZDNet UK community, see the Code of Conduct.

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18 - How do I embed an image in a blog post?

While you can't upload images, you can embed pictures hosted elsewhere–on Flickr, for example. To do this, use this code:

<img src="URL" width="NUMBER OF PIXELS" height="NUMBER OF PIXELS" alt="DESCRIBE WHAT THE PICTURE SHOWS" />

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19 - How do I embed a YouTube video to a blog post?

First, grab the URL generated by YouTube. If it's a video you've uploaded, you can find it here:

YouTube embed URL

Or you can grab the link for any YouTube video in the address bar above:

YouTube address bar

Paste this URL into the body of your blog entry where you want it to show up. It's best not to put it near the start of the post, as it might interfere with how the post appears on ZDNet UK page listings.

NOTE: *Don't* use the embed code provided by YouTube, as we restrict the HTML we allow members to use in posts for security reasons.

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20 - How do people get my blog by RSS?

Each ZDNet UK member's blog has an RSS feed. Anyone who wants to can subscribe to the feed and get links to your latest blog entries delivered to their desktop.

You'll find the RSS icon for your individual feed in the top right corner of your blog, in your profile. If a user clicks on this they'll be taken to a page where they can either subscribe to the feed via a browser or grab the feed URL for a standalone RSS reader.

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21 - What is a Core Tech?

The Core Techs are ZDNet UK's expert bloggers. They are specialists in specific tech fields who track trends and keep an eye on what's new, and who have years of experience behind them. They'll help you stay on top of the subject, but they also want to hear what you have to say about it.

Look for the Core Techs badge in the member profile and on posts. Feel free to add them to your contact list, ask them questions, and give them feedback on their postings.

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22 - How do I report bad behaviour by other users?

Please send an email to ZDNet UK's Community Manager. If you are reporting an offensive comment, please copy the location of the page from your browser's address bar and paste it into your email.

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23 - Why has my post disappeared?

Your Talkback, comment or blog may have triggered our spam filter and gone automatically to moderation. An editor will look at the post and will push it live if this has happened in error.

Our filter is triggered if your post contains specific keywords frequently found in spam. It will also automatically block comments/Talkbacks with more than two URLs and blog posts with more than 10 URLs.

In addition, a post may be removed from the site if an editor believes it to contravene our Code of Conduct; for example, it may be deemed marketing or it may not reach our requirement that posts add something to the discussion. If you have any questions, please email ZDNet UK's Community Manager.

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